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Porter Portable Air Compressor

The Porter portable air compressor is a mains powered portable air compressor that is designed for general purpose DIY and household inflation tasks. As with all types of pump there are pros and cons, so before you buy check out those highlighted below:

Pros

6-gallon tank

150 PSI max tank pressure

Low current 120V motor

Cons

Requires maintenance before and after use

So How Good is The Porter Cable Oil Free Compressor?

Performance

When this air compressor is working properly it performs well and is capable of inflating both vehicle and bicycle tires with Schrader valves with relative ease. After gaining some experience with air compressors the hard way I have also found that it is very easy to get suboptimal performance through not carrying out proper maintenance on the compressor.

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Score

4.0

Nozzles and Accessories

The Porter portable air compressor comes with a 13-piece accessory set. These include connectors for hooking up to various DIY equipment, a Schrader valve connector and also a needle connector for pumping up balls. There is also a trigger handle included so that the air flow can be controlled when using for applications with no in-built trigger. The accessory set also includes a tire pressure gauge. There is no adapter provided for a Presta valve.

Pressure Gauge

The pressure gauges on the pump relate to the internal pressures that are there, they do not measure the pressure of the item being inflated and so if any sort if tire inflation is being carried out there will need to be an additional pressure gauge used in order to monitor the tire pressure during inflation. The maximum PSI rating is 150 PSI could, in theory, inflate road bike tires up to the require 125-130PSI. However due to the fact that there is no included Presta nozzle, I have not been successful in using this compressor for these tires. The pump is pretty good for filling lower pressure tires with Schrader valves though and I have successfully used it for both my car tires and also my mountain bike tires.

Applications

I use this pump for a wide range of applications around the house and garage. It is great for car and mountain bike tires, but as it does not come with a Presta valve nozzle I have not been able to use it for my road bike tires and so cannot really comment about whether the road bike tires are achievable. The compressor is great for inflating paddling pools, air beds and other general tasks.

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Score

4.0

Ease of Use

Although the use of this pump at first glance appears to be very simple, there is a lot more to it than just plugging it in and switching in on. I was lucky in that I read up on this model before purchasing and so I was aware of the break-in process that had to be adhered to in order to prevent damage to the pump. Using this in humid environments also has to be carried out with care because the build-up of water in the system will affect the performance adversely. Removal of water after use is also important as if this is not carried out, not only will performance be limited, but the tank will also rust through as well. So I would recommend that if you are going to buy this pump that you do your homework.

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Score

1.0

Value for Money

The Porter portable air compressor is one of the less expensive air compressors that I looked at. The large tank and the good performance makes this great value for money, but the very poor instructions, which don’t even include the fact that the compressor has to be broken in, and the ease with which this pump can be damaged impacts on its value, especially for the average user.

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Score

3.0

Final Verdict

I would say that this compressor is a really useful piece of equipment for anyone who is either experienced in the use of compressors, or who is willing to do their homework. It is a good general purpose inflator and air source, but I do not think it is suitable for high pressure tires and so would not use it as a dedicated bicycle tire inflator.

So, is this Porter portable air compressor is the best Air Compressor? – find out by yourself:

2 thoughts on “Porter Portable Air Compressor”

Theresa
I agree that the PORTER-CABLE C2002-WK is a high quality air compressor. It has 13-Piece Accessory Kit and a high volume.
Still there are some other high quality air compressors and electric pumps. You are invited to take a look.
Thank you
David